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Facial reconstructive surgery after tumour removal in a guinea pig (Cavia porcellus)

02 January 2021
Case Report
8 mins read
02 January 2021
Volume 26 · Issue 1

Abstract

A 2-year-old male guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) presented with a pea-sized swelling on his right labium. The tumour was excised and reconstructive surgery was performed using a single pedicle advancement flap, leaving the bottom of the lip intact on account of it being essential for food apprehension and manipulation. Two parallel skin incisions were made in the rostrocaudal direction for almost half the length of the head and the resulting skin flap was carefully undermined, to avoid damaging the follicles and the muscles of the whiskers. The flap was carefully sutured over the excisional defect and at 1.5 months post-surgery, only a small residual scar remains. The lips are intact, the surgical site is covered with fur and many of the whiskers have regrown. Histopathology showed the excised mass to be a grade 1 soft tissue sarcoma, most likely a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour.

The guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), a social, diurnal rodent, once a laboratory animal, is now a widely kept companion animal. The frequency of guinea pigs presenting in small animal practices is increasing and veterinarians now face similar surgical challenges as in dogs and cats.

Tumours are one of the most common reasons for presentation and owners expect to have the best treatment options available. The second most common tumour group in guinea pigs are those of the skin and subcutis, making up around 15% of reported cases (Greenacre, 2004).

Guinea pigs are herbivorous and use their lips to grasp the plant material they eat (Mentré and Bulliot, 2014). Thus, the presence of the lips is very important for feeding and survival in these animals. Guinea pigs have 23 whiskers on each side of their face, which are located above the lips. Their mystacial pad is very similar to that of nocturnal rodents, which suggests the important role of whiskers: they protect the eye, are part of the sensory apparatus, and are involved in social behaviours in guinea pigs (Grant et al, 2017).

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facial tumour
local flap
peripheral nerve sheath tumour
sarcoma
single pedicle advancement flap